WORCESTERSHIRE’S two major hospitals scored slightly below the national average in cleanliness surveys.

A report issued by the Health and Social Care Information Centre has shown the national average score for cleanliness in hospitals in England was 97.3 per cent, a slight increase from 95.8 per cent last year.

Although all the hospitals run by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, including Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital and Worcestershire Royal Hospital – scored below average, all were ranked above 90 per cent.

The Worcestershire Royal Hospital received the highest score at 96.96 per cent, while the Alex was rated 96.38 per cent.

Although the Royal scored more than two per cent above the national average for condition, appearance and maintenance – including decoration, signage and car park access – at 94.93 per cent, the Alexandra was well below this at 86.97 per cent.

In terms of ensuring the privacy, dignity and wellbeing of patients was maintained – including ensuring adequate changing and waiting areas were available as well as single-sex facilities where appropriate – the Royal scored 95.89 per cent – well above the national average of 87.7 per cent.

But the Alex fared less well scoring only 77.51 per cent - although only 36.1 per cent of hospitals across the country scored more than 90 per cent in this category.

All three hospitals scored below average for the availability, taste, choice and temperature of food, with the Royal scoring 83.15 per cent and the Alex scoring 83.68 per cent.

The trust’s chief nursing officer Lindsey Webb said the figures provided a useful insight into what patients and visitors experiences when they visited hospitals in the county.

“The environment where a patient is treated makes a huge difference to how they feel in our care,” she said.

“Scoring above 80 per cent in all areas reassures us that when the majority of patients come into our care, they know from the start that they are going to be well looked after in our hospitals.

“However there are still improvements to be made in some areas and we will continue to work hard to achieve the very best for our patients.”

All the community hospitals, mental health wards and learning disability units run by Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust - including Bromsgrove's Princess of Wales, scored at least 98 per cent for cleanliness.

Food in community hospitals also scored well while condition, appearance and maintenance varied between 82.76 and 97.22 per cent.

Privacy, dignity and wellbeing scored between 78.13 and 95.24 per cent.

Each site’s score was calculated by multiplying the score inspectors gave it by its number of beds.

To view the full report visit hscic.gov.uk.